


Kick

by Loladai



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, Under the Red Hood
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Has Issues, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-07-13 00:43:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7131158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loladai/pseuds/Loladai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Jason attempts to deal with a slew of disappearances, a mysterious killer and Dick Grayson with varying degrees of success.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kick

Ah the thrill of the chase.

As cold as the night was, and Gotham in dead winter got pretty fucking cold, Jason was sweating as he bounded down a rusted fire escape and landed heavy on the frosted pavement.

He had been tracking some mid level enforcer by the name of Andre Camino for the last hour and a half. The moron had finally caught wind of him after Jason had gotten a little slopping in his tailing, a little lazy. But hey it had been a slow night and instead of waiting for an opening to interrogate the fucker, he had decided to make his own opening.

He hadn’t really counted on the guy being so spry.

Jason vaulted over a fence and booked it down the ally, the sound of his boots echoing loudly off the brick walls. He slid around the corner just in time to tackle good ol’ Andre to the ground, who gasped raggedly as the wind was knocked out of him.

“Now,” Jason heaved in a breath, “I have a few questions for you. And after chasing you around Park Row for the last 15 minutes you should know that my patience is running thin, so I would suggest answering them.”

Camino reared up “Listen you cu--”

Jesus this guy. Jason slammed him bodily back down before roughly shoving the barrel of his beretta under the man’s chin.

“Before you finish, I want you to think very very carefully about what you say next.”

Camino relented giving a jittery nod.

“Good. People seem to be vanishing into thin air recently, a lot of people, and I want to know what you know about it,” Jason said conversationally.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about I - I swear” Camino wailed. God they were to the gibbering stage already, this was going to get old fast he could tell.

“Really, that’s interesting cause you’re the forth guy I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with tonight and after some smooth persuasion on my part, every one of those pieces of shit pointed the finger at you. Someone is pulling your strings Andre and I want to know who.”

Camino seemed to settle more firmly on the ground. He was gonna spill, Jason could see it in his eyes. All talk and bluster, no real guts. How disappointing.

“Ok, ok ease up man. No need to get violent-”

Jason felt a fire in his side so sharp it pierced through him with sickening speed.

Had this asshole just stabbed him? He had stabbed him. As soon as that pain registered new pain followed as Camino’s brawny fist plowed into the temple of his helmet, followed by a swift kick to his ribs.

Jason groaned as his head swam. He rolled onto his side trying to get his bearings.

His gun laid feet away, too far, and Camino was too close. He went for it anyways.

Too slow.

“He knows you’ve been looking for him,” Camino said casually as he picked up the gun. Any traces of his earlier panic and anger were completely gone.

Jason had fucked up, he had underestimated his opponent and now he was going to die, again.

“Oh yeah? That’s nice, how about he quits with the games and we meet face to face. Call it a date, my week’s wide open.” Jason gritted as he staggered to his feet, one hand clutching his side. He needed to stall, get as much intel as this psycho was willing to give. He readied himself to reach for his backup piece.

“He’s been watching you Jason Todd.”

Jason froze. That - was impossible, only a very select, very annoying handful of people knew about him and his untimely resurrection. He’d gone through great lengths to keep it that way.

“What did you just say?” The words felt like stones in his mouth, unwieldy and jagged. Their was no way...just no. He’d been careful.

Camino managed a boyish grin that looked disturbing on a guy with a face that was about as delicate as meat tenderizer. “He’s going to bury you.”

Jason lunged futilely as the other man lifted the gun to his own head. The shot that rang out and the thud of Camino’s body seemed muted in the heavy winter air.

He stood there stupidly for a moment before tugging his gun from Camino’s already cooling hand.

Something was very wrong here, beyond a vaguely zealous suicide. Though that was pretty fucking high up there.

The playing field had shifted in a way that he wasn’t prepared for. If whoever was behind this knew who Jason really was, it wasn’t that big of a jump to the identities of the rest of the Bats. Not that he gave that much of a fuck, their security was their problem, but still...it was a persistent itch in the back of his mind now.

He let out a puff of air and shot a line, starting his way back to his nearest safe-house.

He didn’t make it very far. Halfway there and his side was a mass of agony. After landing rough on the next roof he leaned heavily against the wall. His helmet was suffocatingly hot, his hands fumbled to release the catch letting it clank to the ground as he gasped for air. Suddenly he was on his ass, though he was pretty sure he hadn’t had any intention of doing that.

He would close his eyes, just for a minute, just until he had the energy to get moving again.

Just...one...minute...

Warm fingers ran through his sweat soaked hair. It felt nice, whoever it was had his permission to stay. “You gotta learn to ask for help Little Wing.”

“That’s what B always says,” he sighed. His could feel himself drifting off further and that was ok, that was fi--

“Hey.”

That was fine. He needed the rest anyways, he never got enough sleep-

“Hey Hood, wake up!”

He snapped to alertness, eyes focusing on Nightwing perched a few feet away. When he saw Jason was awake he seemed to unfold with a litheness that made Jason want to punch him in the face, if only he could do it without his body making him regret it.

“You ok? You’re not looking so hot.” Dick’s voice was tense as he stepped forward before seeming to think better of it.

Caution looked weird on a guy that purposely threw himself off buildings. While Jason couldn't exactly blame him, his informal truce with the Bats hadn’t been in place that long, he still kind of resented it. It wasn’t like Jason was gonna attack him for no reason.

“Ran into a bit of trouble, but I’m fine. Just taking a breather,” he growled. He just wanted to limp home in peace, was that too much to ask?

Dick shook his head and began to approach, “You look really pale. I’m going to help you up ok?” Of course it was too much to ask. He failed to repress a groan as strong arms began to lift him to his feet. “You’re bleeding.”

“Yeah no shit,” Jason griped, weakly swatting at the hands that began a cursory inspection for the source of his injury. “Would you stop it, some goon got me with a toothpick. It’s nothing.”

Dick’s brows rose, “Doesn’t look like nothing, it looks like you can barely stand and your pupils are dilated.”

He was right, much as he hated to admit it. Jason had been stabbed before and this felt nothing like that, something was off.

Dick was beginning to get frustrated, “I assume if I say ‘hey lets go back to manor because its the best place to treat you’, you’re gonna say- “

“I’m gonna say you are out of your goddam mind. Just...back off alright. I’ve got it covered, wouldn’t want to put you out or anything.” Jason pulled away, he could feel himself sway loose limbed and heavy, which distantly was a bit alarming.

“Fine I’m taking you home,” Dick replied sarcastically. “We’re not too far away.”

“How would you know?” Was the last thing Jason said before everything cut to black.

  
-

  
He woke up in his safe-house, wincing away from the stupid sunlight that persistently glared directly into his eyes. It was annoying and uncomfortable and that only dragged his attention to the other things he could do without at precisely that moment.

Like the pounding in his head, the dryness of his mouth, and the fuzzy ache in his side that if he thought about too much would probably start to clarify. And last but certainly not least, the fucking lug that was fast asleep in his second hand easy chair that had been dragged next to what was undoubtably his death bed.

Ok, admittedly it probably wasn’t his death bed, but sometimes he liked to exaggerate like a regular person who hadn’t actually experienced a sad and painful death. It made him feel normal and sort of like he was in on a joke.

“That’s my chair asshole,” he yelled indignantly, or meant to yell. To his deep shame it came out as more of a petulant moan.

Dick, the disgusting morning person that he was, was awake instantly.

Raising his arms in a stretch, “What? Oh well, it was actually really comfortable.”

“Yes I know, I broke it in. What I want to know is why you are sleeping in my very comfortable chair?”

Dick stood looking slightly dismayed, “You don’t remember what happened? You were pretty out of it, whoever stabbed you must have dosed the blade with something.”

“I remember, do you remember? I distinctly recall telling you to leave me alone,” Jason gritted as he struggled to prop himself up. Jesus he hurt everywhere now that he wanted to move.

Dick shook his head as he helped Jason sit up, “Oh right, like I was just supposed to leave you there. One, that would make me a terrible brother. And two, Bruce would have kicked my ass.”

Jason felt himself stiffen. It was all such bullshit, all of it. ”One, you’re not my brother. And two if I had died up there Bruce would of breathed a sigh of relief and gone on his merry fucking way.”

Dick lingered in his space, his hand resting a moment on Jason’s neck. It was a touch that felt familiar even though they had never really been this close before without a fight. “You really believe that don’t you.’’

The stillness between them seemed to last forever. Dick was the first to break contact as he stood and turned toward the open window. Replacing his domino he said, “I’ll be back later to check on you.”

“Don’t bother.”

Dick’s shoulders were a tense line as he paused, halfway to leaping out. He glanced back at the younger man not meeting his eyes.

“Have it your way Jason.” And then he was gone.

Jason stared at the window for a long time.

It was a hell of a thing, getting what you wanted.

  
-

  
He woke to the soft light of the setting sun, having must of fitfully slept most of the day away. His mouth was so dry he could barley swallow. He coughed a bit, standing gingerly, ready to wince away from any twinges of pain as he walked to the kitchen.

Water, sweet jesus water was amazing. He downed two glasses in quick succession before he realized he felt ok. Not at his fighting weight but enough to hold his own if worst came to worst. Down side was he felt ok enough that he couldn't justify calling in sick to work.

An alarm blared as he headed to the shower, “I’m uuuuup already.”

Shower. Shave. Dress. Drive. As much as it irked him to have a day job, sometimes he appreciated the routine of it. It was all so by rote that he could just turn off his brain from say, crazed killers that knew your secret identity, or perhaps would be siblings that were hell bent on inserting themselves into your life after not giving a shit for years. It could give a guy whiplash, or an ulcer. Hiding in the normalities of civilian life was like vacation.

“You’re late,” Rico said as she poured a shot.

“I don’t know if you know this but it is snowing like crazy outside. I almost got nailed by a cab on my way over here, so really me showing up at all is about as selfless as it gets.”

“How magnanimous of you,” She replied dryly arching a brow.

Jason dusted snow off his hair and jacket that quickly turned into a puddle in the stifling heat of the bar.

“Yeah well, how about I continue this show of good will by stocking for you hmm?”

He had been 20 minutes late.

“How about you start by cleaning up the mess you literally just made walking in here before someone slips and breaks their neck hmmm?”

“Yeah yeah yeah, so demanding,” he groused even as went to grab the mop.

Three hours later and he was bored out of his mind. Rico had bailed early, throwing him the keys and a casual “Don’t burn the place down” as she left. With the storm picking up the bar was mostly empty except for the most hardcore drinkers who didn’t really have anywhere better to be.

He felt a ice cold burst of air as the front door opened and closed.

“What the hell is this?” Dick said slamming a newspaper onto the worn wood of the bar. Jason briefly glanced up then refocused back to the glass he was intently polishing.

“It seems to be a printed newspaper, I didn’t know they still made those.” Jason made sure his surprise didn’t show. Dick showing up out of the blue once was fine...whatever, he could deal with a random crossing of paths. But twice in as many days was a pattern. One he was decidedly uncomfortable with.

Dick pushed the paper forward more into his field of vision. Andre Camino’s face glared back at him from the front page.

“I had nothing to do with that,” He could feel his face tighten slightly. An internal flinch at the thought of blood and brain matter mixing with freshly fallen snow. The inexplicableness of it. He had been going to let the guy go, maybe with a few bruises and broken bones, but still he had intended on a simple catch and release. It figured, no matter what decisions he made death always seemed be at the center of the outcome.

Dick leaned forward, “Don’t lie to me Jason. You’re slipping. A man ends up dead-”

Jason grabbed his wrist firmly. He looked at the the two lone men sitting three stools over, one of whom may or may not of fallen asleep nursing his whiskey. “I’ll be right back guys.”

He led Dick through to the back door, shoving it open roughly and dragging him into the back ally.

“Please, continue talking about _dead bodies_. Jesus could you be anymore obvious?” Jason said loudly.

Dick looked contrite, but it faded quickly as he pulled his wrist forcefully from Jason’s grasp. He hadn’t even realized he’d still been holding it.

“Camino was found minutes from where I found you, an amateur could put those pieces together. Just, I don’t understand. Why would you do this? You’ve been doing well from what me and Bruce could tell.”

“You and the Bat been keeping tabs on me huh?” He could feel his jaw clench, just the thought that him and Bruce had been watching his every move waiting for him to mess up...and he would mess up at some point in their eyes. He knew it because that was just who he was to them. The mistake, the angry boy that should never have been Robin.

Somewhere along the way he had started to revel in shoving their faces into that mistake. Bruce and Dick had been part of his making, and so they were a part of every decision he made. They knew it too.

He had just been starting to grow past that anger, the kind that burned so bright it could never sustain itself. But to know that they expected him to fail lit that flame anew if just for a moment.

“And tell me, were you worried about me, or about the people around me?”

Dick’s face flashed a look of regret, but he stood firm.

Jason gave a bitter laugh that hurt his chest.

“Thats what I thought.”

Anger peaked through the regret as Dick’s voice went hard, “You’ve killed Jason, do you blame us? And it looks like we were right to be worried.”

“Oh I see, because its _me_ there’s no question that I killed him. You know for being the protege of ‘The World’s Greatest Detective’ you sure are fucking blind sometimes.”

“Then explain it to me!” Dick’s voice was strained as he took at step toward Jason.

And for some reason he almost wanted to, but he knew better.

An explanation would be pointless because Dick’s mind was already made up. To him, Jason was a barely reformed killer who deep down couldn’t hope to keep himself in check for long. And maybe they were right, maybe it was inevitable. But still, the point was that he had been trying, genuinely trying to be better and it had gotten him nowhere.

He shook his head and started to head back toward the bar but Dick grabbed his shoulder, turning him so forcefully that Jason’s back hit the wall of the ally.

Dick’s fists bunched his jacket and he ducked his head to catch Jason’s eyes.

“Explain it to me.” He sounded so calm and so ernest, that for moment Jason didn’t know how to react.

He froze up, unsettled being under Dick’s weirdly intense focus.

Finally he willed himself to speak, “Dick--”

They both turned, startled by the crashing of an overturned trashcan at the opening of the ally. Through the eddying snow that was thickening by the minute a dark figure limped toward them from the shadows.

She had no face. That was the first thing Jason numbly registered.

The second was that she didn’t appear to be alive. Dark blood that had long ago crystalized in the cold seemed to cover every inch of her clothed body. One arm hung limply at her side while the other was clutched to her chest.

She couldn’t be alive and yet she was.

Jason took a step toward her just as she fell. The soft crunch of snow as her body hit the ground seemed to reverberate in his ears. He ran to her, knowing Dick was right behind him.

She was feather light as he half pulled her onto his lap. And he wanted to touch, to help her, to do _something_. He could see the exposed muscles of her face contract as she tried to speak. Jason felt horror bloom like an infection across his mind as he swallowed back bile.

“Don’t try to talk. We’re gonna get you help ok?” He said trying to sound soothing.

He could hear Dick beside him already on his phone relaying their location to 911.

Her stare locked onto Jason’s and he could see dim recognition there.

He felt her spasm once.

“Ambulance is on the way,” Dick crouched next to him.

“They’re too late. She’s dead.” Her good arm was still held tightly to her chest as her closed fist became lax, fingers opening like a flower. Jason saw a glint as a gold locket fell to the snow. He picked it up with a shaky hand and opened it slowly. The smiling face of a bright eyed little girl winked slightly in the dull glow of the streetlight.

And Jason couldn't understand it, but for the first time in a very long time he wanted to cry.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. He couldn’t deal with Dick’s well meaning sympathy right now. He had seen a lot of terrible shit in this world, but whoever had done this was a fucking monster.

In the corner of his eye he saw the flicker of something. There at the entrance of the ally stood the silhouette of a tall man. Shadows covered his face, but Jason could still make out the white outline of a grin.

He set the women’s body down gently in the snow before standing and pulling out his gun.

“Jason, what are you doing?”

He walked toward the shadow and fired.

“Jason stop.” On some level he could register the fear in Dick’s voice, but it couldn’t penetrate the blanket of surreal calmness that had enveloped him. This was where he went when he felt rage. He knew it should scare him, this last trace of the Lazarus Pit’s effect on his mind, but at this moment all he saw was that little girl’s face.

A little girl who no longer had a mother and a women who had been helpless.

He had been helpless once. Not anymore.

He fired again and again and again and again.

Before he knew what was happening his arm was in a hold behind his back as Dick forced him to drop his gun. He tried to heave him off, but that only brought white hot pain as the other man tightened his grip. “Stop it, you need to calm down. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Get off me you asshole, he’s going to get away,” Jason yelled.

“Who’s going to get away? Jason there’s no one there,” Dick’s voice was pained.

Jason looked sharply toward where the man had been. Empty. Just him, Dick and the body of a butchered woman.

“No, no, no. I saw someone Dick, he was smiling. He was _laughing_. It was him, whoever did this.” It didn't make any sense.

Confusion made all of the fight leave his body and Dick waited a beat before releasing his arm. “I didn’t see anyone. You were shooting at nothing.”

Maybe it was finally happening, maybe he was completely loosing it.

Jason put a couple of feet between them as he tried to put his head back into some semblance of order. Dick seemed to understand and he gave him few moments of quiet before he spoke again, “You knew her.” It wasn’t a question, just an observation.

Jason scrubbed a hand through his damp hair, tugging slightly.“Not well, but yeah.” 

The sound of sirens in the distance made them both look at each other.

“This have any connection to Andre Camino?” Dick asked with a subtle note in his voice.

An offer. _Last chance, last chance_ it said.

Jason glanced at the body lying stiff a few feet behind them. This was bigger than him.

He met Dick’s gaze, “We should talk.”

**Author's Note:**

> Any feedback is awesome and appreciated :)


End file.
